


so hold my hand, i'll take you everywhere

by keep_swinging



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: 4x01, Background Cisco/Caitlin, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Rated for Referenced Nudity, Romance, Some Humor, episode tag/reaction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2019-01-16 09:43:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12340200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keep_swinging/pseuds/keep_swinging
Summary: After six months of being the leader, after six months of holding it all together, after six months of nothing, Iris is okay with being the needy one. Just this once.(Barry doesn't mind.)





	so hold my hand, i'll take you everywhere

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone!  
> I've been on FanFiction.Net for years but I've recently decided to join AO3 and start posting my stories on here as well. This is my first ever AO3 upload, and it's probably a little rough, but hopefully it's not too bad. There is definitely a lot to look at on here.  
> Anyway, comments and kudos would be super appreciated and I hope everyone enjoys! :)

 

_so hold my hand_  
_i'll take you everywhere_  
_anywhere_  
_you wanna go_

 

Iris can't stop touching him.

It's subconscious, and yet it's not, because Barry's been gone for six months and that's too long of a time. She's gone six months by herself, alone, barely holding it together, holding it all back so she was able to lead everyone else. Bravery's hard, and being a leader is even harder.

She knows Barry's in no state to take over the reins just yet, but she's okay with Cisco and Wally co-leading for a while. She’s relieved that Barry’s back but so purely exhausted from carrying everything on her shoulders that she’s alright with leaving the two in charge.

Besides, there’s not too much they could get into at the Lab. She had safety-proofed the place a month after Barry had left after discovering that Cisco and Wally liked to experiment with things no child, nor adult with their mindset, should ever have access to. In a far corner of Iris’ mind, she wonders how Caitlin dealt with them for so long without locking either in the pipeline.

Anyway, after six months of _going-going-going_ nonstop, a break seemed well-deserved.

So after Barry flashes away, Iris breathes. She just _breathes_ —a steady in-and-out—before heading to the master bedroom to get changed. Gone is the boss-lady outfit, instead replaced by a pair of grey shorts and the Flash tee-shirt she's been using as a pajama top for the past six months. Barry was, is, notorious in collecting Flash memorabilia, and she swears he's spent all of his retirement money on sweatshirts and cups alone.

("Iris, Iris I _have_ to have it, come on it has Oliver and I on it together, and our symbols are embedded on the back, please Iris, please?"

"Barry you already have a thermos with Oliver and you posing together on top of a building you don't need—"

" _Oh my God_ the handle is in the shape of a lightning bolt and if I buy the mug I get a Green Arrow coaster fifty percent off! Iris please can I have it?"

"Fine, Barry. But anytime you use these damned mugs, you're doing the dishes." Swooping down, he leaves an intentionally sloppy kiss on her cheek and she shrieks and shoves him away, intending to give him a piece of her mind, but he's already walking towards the cash register at the front of the store, mug and coaster in hand.

"Excuse me I'd like to buy two of these!" He had said, waving the mug.

"Barry Allen I swear—"

"Make that three and a hat, please.")

This particular shirt was one of the first tee-shirts Barry had ever bought, and it was holding up well. The picture plastered on the front is a hand-drawn cartoon sketch of the Flash waving as he flashes by, and it’s penciled in all black and white. The sharp features of the mask and face are a bit faded, and the edges are worn, but the candid drawing is still as visible as ever.

Printed below the image are the words _Sincerely, Central City's Hero_ hastily scrawled in a darker color to give the illusion that the Flash had actually signed it. Overall it's one of Iris' favorite shirts, design-wise and comfort-wise, which is why it's not surprising that she had claimed it as hers a few nights after Barry had gotten it. Barry's never getting it back.

Finished getting changed for bed and bringing herself back to the present, she faces the king-sized bed behind her anxiously, wringing her hands as she stares down at it. She hasn't even glanced at it in the past months, only bothering herself with coming in to get dressed for the day and then walking right back out.

Reminding herself that Barry will be right back, that he’ll be right back and isn’t going to disappear into the Speed Force again, she swallows her fear and climbs in under the dark red covers. A chill runs up her spine at how cold the sheets underneath are, and she shivers and grabs the TV remote from the nightstand next to her before pulling the blanket up to her chin. Iris clicks on the TV easily enough from under her cocoon of blankets and flips through the channels until she reaches one that's playing She's the Man.

Content, she leans back against the leather of the headboard, settling as she pulls out her cellphone and shoots her dad a goodnight text. He responds pretty quick, with a _love you too baby girl_ and there’s even a little blue heart emoji trailing after his words.

She smiles to herself and begins to go through her social media, the low hum of the television the only other sound in the otherwise silent apartment. 

She's scrolling idly through her Instagram feed when she hears Barry come back—the front door opening and shutting, being locked twice—and he zooms into the bedroom clad in the same clothes he had left in. “Hey,” he says, beaming wide, “robbery on Sixth. I can't believe they even got out the door with how clumsy they were.” Iris exits the app and places her phone on the nightstand, yawning.

"Really?"

He nods, "Really."

He vanishes into the adjoined bathroom for a second and Iris sees the light flick on before he comes back and grabs a bright pink bath towel from the closet. He tosses it over his shoulder before walking over to Iris and leaning down so he can leave a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'm gonna get a quick shower and then I'm coming to bed, alright?" Iris nods, moving forwards and catching him by the lips.

“Nice towel,” she says as she pulls back for a second, their foreheads pressing against each other’s.

“It goes great with my hair,” Barry murmurs before capturing her lips again. Fireworks erupt in her head, in her belly, everywhere, and God she’s missed the sweet taste of his lips so much. Her hand comes up from under the blanket so she can caress his cleanly-shaven cheek, and he moans quietly. The kiss deepens way too fast, but Barry pulls back before it can go anywhere.

“Hold that thought,” he urges in a husky mumble before nearly running into the bathroom.

Iris chortles and then finds herself turning back to the flat screen and tuning into the movie. The scenes fly by and she blinks more than usual, her fatigue taking a toll on her. It’s extremely hard to stay awake and she figures it must be because of all of the emotions flooding her. By the time the bathroom door is opening she's laying on her side snuggled into Barry's favorite pillow, body sprawled all the way on his side of the bed.

Her eyes are half-open and she's half-asleep as Barry enters the room drying his hair with his fashionable pink towel. There’s nothing but a large white towel loosely wrapped low on his waist as he stops in front of her line of vision, blocking the TV.

Barry glances over at her and smiles to himself before turning to the dresser, that's conveniently stationed under the TV, and pulling out a pair of boxers. Iris smiles drowsily as the towel around his waist suddenly drops and she gets a great view of his ass before the navy blue boxers are pulled up and over it, followed by a pair of black sweats. He grabs the towel from the floor and tosses it into the hamper by the door before shutting the drawers and making his way over to the bed.

He shuts off the lamp and slides into bed next to her as gently as he can as to not jostle her. "Iris," he whispers as he gently hooks two arms under her body and moves her over to her side of the mattress, "lift your head up for me real fast honey, you're on my pillow."

She mutters something incoherent as she closes her eyes and does as she was told, and she can feel a small breeze as Barry takes his pillow back and then lays down, carefully draping an arm around her. "C’mere," he mumbles, and Iris moves to him, her head finding its way onto his still slightly damp chest.

She exhales and instantly feels warm all over from him and his hold, the Speed Force thrumming peacefully under his skin. She burrows into him and wraps an arm lazily around his lower torso, and she can feel his smile as he nuzzles his face into her hair.

He smells like his soap, and Iris didn't know how much she had missed the smell of his soap until now. “I'm sorry,” she murmurs, sighing, moving closer, "I know you wanted to—"

"It's okay," he responds, eyes skimming from her head to the movie, "it’s okay. Get some sleep."

She presses a sleepy kiss to his chest, "I love you."

Barry chuckles, kissing her hair. "I love you too."

He stays awake for a while, but he's okay with that, because the love of his life is fast asleep in his arms. She clings to him like there's not going to be a tomorrow. He hopes he can show her that there will be.

* * *

Iris is sure to make up the night before in the morning, and Barry doesn't object, not once. Afterwards Iris heads to the shower, and Barry lays in bed for another five minutes before deciding to just join her. Iris is all smiles and laughs the whole morning, and by the time they're sitting at the kitchen table eating Barry's chocolate chip pancakes, Iris is over the moon.

“Hey,” she says affectionately after taking a long swig of her orange juice, "I love you."

"I love you too," he replies through a mouthful of pancake and bacon, and Iris scolds him for the child he is. On the inside, her heart is bursting at the seams. She thinks it’s from the happiness she’s finally receiving after being denied of it for so long.

* * *

Everyone notices Iris' not-so-subtle refusal to leave Barry's side, and Cisco and Caitlin can't help but share knowing looks with each other every time she succeeds in touching some part of him.

In the Cortex, when Barry's gushing about the new suit with Cisco, Iris grounds herself by keeping a barely noticeable hold on his arm, hidden by him and the fact that she's standing behind him. Caitlin notices anyway and smiles to herself at the same time Cisco elbows her and says, "And you said he didn't need any extra protection over his—"

"If I remember correctly Cisco, I was the one who wanted to make sure he was going to be able to have kids sometime in the future. _You_ were the one who said he wouldn’t need it.” Cisco’s eyebrows knit together, and it’s comical.

He thinks about it for a second, “No. No I specifically remember it being you.”

“Cisco.” Caitlin says, pitching the bridge of her nose, “It was you.”

“Cait—no it wasn’t!” Barry grins at the familiar bickering of his best friends and Iris slides her hand into his palm. He squeezes tight, and she squeezes back while in front of them Caitlin and Cisco’s arguing gets more and more intense by the minute. “You’re calling me a liar.”

“No I’m—Cisco it’s not my fault your memory’s no better than that of a rock’s!”

He gawks, mouth dropping open.

“How dare you!” He accuses as Caitlin groans and throws her hands up, backing away from the computer and turning on her heel to head down the hallway. Cisco follows her, and their voices only finally fade when they enter the elevator together.

Iris shakes her head as she looks back to her fiancé, whose smile tells her he knows something she doesn’t. “What?” She inquires, squinting up at him.

Barry laughs, “Cisco was wrong. Wally filled me in on all the details a few days ago. He overheard the whole thing. Cisco’s the one who didn’t want to put any extra padding down there so if something ever happened I wouldn’t be able to have kids. Caitlin’s the one who _insisted_ in putting some type of armor there.” Iris gasps, pulling back her hand so she can push him back by the shoulder.

“You knew who said what and you still let them bicker?” She chides, slightly playfully, but Barry just looks at her with an expression she knows all too well.

“Yeah well,” he says, “I’ve missed hearing them bicker.”

Iris ponders his words for a moment and then moves towards him and grabs his chin, guiding his mouth to hers. He kisses her tenderly, lovingly, before their lips separate and she lets go. “Me too,” she admits and then, teasingly, “so kids are in our future?”

Barry grins.

“Of course, but only if it’s something you want.” Iris stares at him for a moment, amazed. This dorky, handsome, charming superhero is going to be her husband someday soon—and not only that, but he’s open to kids. He’s open to little babies with tiny feet and sticky hands that are part him and part her and that makes her heart _soar_.

She loves him so damn much.

“If they turn out to be speedsters, you’re changing _all_ the diapers, you hear?”

Barry laughs and it echoes around them, deep and so, so real. “How about if they turn out to be speedsters we leave all the diaper changing to Wally and Jesse? Give them some practice for the future.”

“I could get on board with that plan.”

Barry brings her close, kissing her deeply, and their future’s cemented before either of them know it.

* * *

(“I think Don and Dawn would be great names.” He says the next day while washing the dishes.

She raises an eyebrow, “You’ve already thought of names?”

He smiles into the sink, “You haven’t?”

She has, way more than she would like to admit. Dawn and Don sound like great names, but so did Austin, Nora and Henry too. Joseph as a middle name maybe, or Joshua. Bart had gotten her attention too, because it was close to Barry and she’d love nothing more than to name a child after Barry, but it’d be too confusing she knows. She’s thought about it for the longest time, but she’s only heard two names from Barry and they . . . seem like the perfect ones.

“I really like those names,” she says, typing another sentence of her article, “I like them a lot.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Barry scrubs harder at the grime on the dishes and his cheeks hurt from smiling so much.)

* * *

When Barry and Iris head to Joe's for dinner a few weeks later with him and Cecile, Iris keeps a hold of Barry's hand and they're shoulder to shoulder at all times. She drinks enough wine for the both of them combined, and by the time dinner's over she's giggling uncontrollably. Barry's thankful Joe's had one too many beers, it'll make it so that he doesn't remember anything in the morning. In this case, that would be his daughter getting  _way_  too drunk. Cecile winks at Barry and promises to keep it a secret as the speedster lifts Iris into his arms and carries her bridal style out the front door.

He makes sure Cecile isn't looking before speeding away, bringing her to their apartment in the speed of light. She slurs things the whole time he strips her of her clothes. By the time he gets her changed into her pajamas, she's gone quiet. Barry fluffs her pillow before transporting her to their bed.

He pulls off his shirt and pants before getting in next to her, and even drunk she nestles into him—her anchor, her love, her Barry—and he holds her close.

“I was so scared you weren’t coming home,” she mumbles drunkenly, and he stiffens, his whole body going rigid. “I kept running. You told me to run and I ran,” she says through a sigh, hiccuping. “I ran,” she repeats, “I ran for you babe. I did.”

“I know.” Barry whispers, running his hand up and down her arm, “I’m so proud of you.”

“I am too. ‘M proud of myself. I thought—I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it. But . . . but I did. I did.”

“You did,” he mumbles as she hiccups again, and her head lolls on his bare chest. “I love you so damn much,” he says, and she giggles, patting his stomach.

“Love you too, Bear.”

A part of him knows there’s a slim chance she’ll remember any of this conversation later, but he’s glad he got to hear her true thoughts. He told her to keep running and she ran, even if she thought she couldn’t, and he couldn’t be more proud.

When sleep finds him, his dreams consist of Iris West-Allen holding a little bundle of blue blankets and when he looks down at the little pink bundle of blankets secure in his own arms, Dawn coos back at him. One of her pudgy hands reaches for his, and when she successfully grabs one of his fingers, her own tiny ones wrapping around it tightly, she smiles that adorable baby smile and Barry’s heart feels full.

The Flash feels whole. 

(And he swears it’s the best feeling in the whole wide world.)


End file.
